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Pink Roses
Don’t be fooled. Just because a rose you find in the woods is pink does not mean it is a native rose. Though a bit unusual this picture above is of a Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora). Multiflora Roses normally are white but on occasion a huge bush of this rose will decide to be independent…
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Harvesting Has Begun
Scarlet leaves in autumn. Crimson red branches in winter. Spring brings blossoms. Summer — Blueberries! It’s that time of year. Today was the first day of gathering the berries. Filling the freezer for pies, pancakes, and muffins through the rest of the year. My schedule only allowed me to gather three pints. Plenty more for…
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Pale Pale Green Moth
Badwing Moth (Dyspteris abortivaria) Native to eastern North America. Its caterpillar host plants are various grape species. The moth has a wingspan of about an inch. Tiny. The moth is active from mid-April until August. Here it seems May is a good time to find one. I have several images of Badwings in various years,…
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Narrowleaf Sundrops
Narrowleaf Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa), Native to eastern North America where it can be found in open woodlands, forest edges, and rock outcrops. Lasting only one day, each bloom is replaced by another for a series of days. The picture above is of buds waiting their turn to open and show off their brilliant yellow. Each…
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A Bee Favorite
Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana), is native to the eastern United States. Each flower only lasts one day and blooms only in the morning but new flowers will pop up the next morning to take their place. They’re quite happy plants in one of my gardens. And oh do the bees and butterflies ever love them! ________________________________…
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Newly Emerged Leaves
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) leaves just beginning their growth. But why are they red? The red coloring often seen in new leaves is because of anthocyanin, a pigment which give those leaves that coloring. As the leaves mature and begin the process of photosynthesis, they gain the green pigment, chlorophyll, which gives them the coloring which…
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A Bush With A View
Way up the mountain, in a power line right of way, lives a quite large Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia). A Mountain Laurel with a beautiful view down the mountain. That view glowing in the sunshine. What a lovely day for a hike. And perfect timing for finding this pale pink bush in full bloom. Native…
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Two More Tempted By The Birdbath
Like the Red-eyed Vireo that I wrote about yesterday, two Chipping Sparrows (Spizella passerina) showed up at the birdbath yesterday afternoon as well. And like the Vireo, I’ve been hearing the distinctive rapid trilling which nearly sounds as if it’s from a machine – that sound that the Chipping Sparrows make. I didn’t have much…
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Taking A Dip
I’ve been hearing them for some time now with their unmistakable song of, “Here I am. Where are you?” The Red-eyed Vireos (Vireo olivaceus) have come back from their wintering grounds in the Amazon basin of South America. They return to their same breeding grounds every year which pleases me. A couple years ago a…
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Wild Blueberries
My hike this morning took me way up the mountain to where there are precious little Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum) bushes. I missed their blooms, but green berries are on the bushes now and soon they will become a meal for some bird or other animal up there. These bushes usually grow to be 9…